Installing Open Enterprise Server 2 into an Existing Tree

Planning Your Installation

There are many options for installing OES 2 on your system. In order to understand the option that best suit your needs, you need to first answer some questions about your environment.

How many servers need to be installed? – If you are setting up more than a couple of servers and/or plan on setting up more servers in the future, then you may want to set up an installation server. This would allow for over-the-wire installations which (depending on your bandwidth) may be faster than installing from physical media. This also eliminates the need to insert a CD/DVD each time you need to do a post-install of products because your source points to a network resource. If you only have a server or two to install, then it is not worth setting up an installation server for deployments.

Will you be using the same type of hardware? – If you will be doing multiple installations on the same type of hardware, then you open up the possibility of doing AutoYaST (automated) installations using an AutoYaST xml file which stores and deploys preselected configurations, thus avoiding the need for human interaction during an install.

Will you be doing remote installations? – There are some wake-on-lan features that can be used in conjunction with the above two options that will allow the system to boot remotely and be installed using an AutoYaST installation file over a network installation.

Installation

The first installation screen has several options that need to be looked at. The F1 and F2 options access the help menu and allow you to change the language during the installation. Both are self explanatory. The F3, F4, F5, and boot options, however, can impact the installation and therefore need to be covered in more detail.

F3 – This option is for changing the monitor resolution during the install. The install typically tries to choose the optimal resolution for the installation, but I have seen a few instances where the default resolution is higher than the monitor can handle. In this example below, it is set to 1280 x 1024. If the monitor you are using doesn't display this resolution optimally, you can restart the installation, press F3, and select 800 x 600 which is widely accepted by today's monitors.

F4 – This option allows for changing the media source during the install. If you plan on installing several servers, you may want to consider setting up an installation server. You can then install the operating system over-the-wire, thus eliminating the need to have the media with you on a constant basis. Novell supports several types of installation sources, namely: FTP, HTTP, SMB, NFS, SLP, and DVD/CDROM.

F5 – This option is necessary if you have a driver that is not included with the OS but is needed during the installation.

Boot Parameters – This option is used for passing pre-configuration options to the install. These configurations can be an AutoYaST.xml (auto configuration) file or just individual parameters for such things as restricting memory, vnc options for a remote installation, or passing a static IP address early in the installation process.

The default for the language screen is English. Select an alternate when needed.

Read and accept the License Agreement for SLES 10 in order to continue with the installation.

Open Enterprise Server is a set of add-on NetWare services that sit on top of SLES 10 SP1. To install OES, check the ?Include Add-On Products from Separate Media? option and press Next.

At the Add-On screen, click the Add button.

Choose the type of media you will be using for the installation. This example uses a CD.

If you have set up a network mount containing the media, then choose the Specify URL field and enter the http or ftp address to that mount point.

When prompted for the CD, remove the SLES 10 CD/DVD, put in the OES CD, and click Continue.

Note: If you experience issues ejecting the CD, use the eject option on the dialog box.

Read and accept the License Agreement for OES2 in order to continue with the installation. Select Next.

You should now see Novell Open Enterprise Server in the Add-On product list.

Choose the appropriate time zone and make sure the hardware clock is set to the appropriate UTC time. Press Next to display the Installation Settings screen.

At the Installation Setting screen, begin the Partitioning and Software setup by clicking on the Partitioning link.

Note: The only time that partitioning really needs to be done is if you had Netware or Windows on the system before and you wish to completely wipe out the partitions, or if you wish to do any custom partitioning. The next few steps will show you how to wipe out the existing partitioning.

A screen listing all available disks will be displayed. Choose the disk on which you wish to set up swap and home partitions.

To create partitions manually, choose Custom Partitioning.

If you will be creating NSS volumes, then it is recommended that you use a separate disk, connect it to a SAN, or if you are using raid, to logically split up the drives so that it appears as a separate disk.

Note: The example screen below is just a demo of what can be done, so the disk sizes are smaller than those you would normally see.

The partitioning setup should now show two primary partitions: one for swap and one for the / partition.

Note: We are not going to partition the other disks at this point since they will be used in building NSS volumes. Now click on the Software section.

Since Open Enterprise Server is an Add-On product, the OES components have to be selected manually. They are the sections (or patterns) listed under OES Services.

Read and accept any required third-party licenses in order to continue.

You are returned to the Installation Summary screen; double-check to make sure everything has been set up appropriately and Accept the options displayed on the screen.

The Confirm Installation screen is displayed next explaining that selecting Install will format the disks as you have specified. This is your last chance to make changes. You will not be able to revisit this portion of the install once you click Install.

Click Install when you are satisfied that the options are set correctly.

You will first need to copy and install from the SLES 10 SP1 CD/DVD. If prompted, replace the OES 2 CD with the SLES 10 SP1 CD/DVD. If you are using CDs rather than the DVD, you will be prompted to switch CDs several times during the install.

Note: If you are installing from a network installation source, you will not be prompted for Installation media.

When prompted, insert the OES 2 CD.

Note: If you are installing from a network installation source, you will not be prompted for Installation media.

Configuration

After the package installation, the server will automatically reboot and display the initial grub boot screen. Just let it continue with the boot.

You will be prompted to create a password for the root user.

When prompted for the Hostname and Domain Name, enter the full DNS that your IP address resolves to. If you don't have a static IP address to assign to the server, you will need to stop here until you receive one.

This example uses server.mycompay.com, where server represents the name of the server (assuming that is how you set up your DNS) and mycompany.com represents your company's DNS domain name, thus representing the full DNS name of the server. It is also a good idea to uncheck the Change Hostname on DHCP since we will be assigning a static address.

Important: The name you specify under the hostname field is the same name that will be used for the server itself within eDirectory (including the case). Also keep in mind that if you plan on using Samba, the Samba netbios name is truncated at 13 characters. Your server name can be longer, and this isn't an issue unless you have multiple servers with similar names running Samba. For example, let's say that your hostname or server name is oes2-cluster-node1, and you have another server that is called oes2-cluster-node2. If you are running Samba on both servers, then the netbios name for both would be set to oes2-cluster-nod which could be a potential problem for your Samba shares.

This situation can be corrected by editing the /etc/samba.conf file and manually setting the netbios name.

There are several configuration settings that you can set under the Network Configuration module but let's discuss the most important settings.

Network Interfaces – OES 2 requires a static IP address so we will first need to configure the Network Interfaces section. This should be done before your firewall configuration, as it will change the available options.

Firewall Settings – The ability to access your server over a secure connection is available through SSH. You may want to consider opening this port for your firewall settings; however, this will largely depend on your company's security polices.

Proxy Server – If your server requires proxy access to get to the internet, you will need to set this option at this time. However, keep in mind that the proxy configuration for your update server is a separate configuration and is not available for configuration during the installation. Therefore, if you do require a proxy server, you need to skip the Online Update option and configure it after the installation of OES 2.

At the Network Configuration screen, you will need to make at least one change to add a static IP address to the Network Configuration. To do this, click on the Network Interfaces link.

Highlight the NIC in question (if there is more than one) and choose Edit.

Note: If you do not see your NIC in the list, then a Linux driver is probably not available for that card. Please make sure your hardware is certified before installing OES. If it is not certified, that doesn't mean that it won't work with OES, it just means that you may run into issues.

At the Network Address Setup screen, put in the desired IP address and Subnet Mask. Then click on Hostname and Name Server.

On the Hostname and Name Server configuration screen that appears, you should see that the Hostname and Domain Name options have been filled out from the previous prompt, but you will need to provide one or more DNS servers, as well as one or more domain searches.

For example, let's say you have a server called server1 and the full DNS name is server1.mycompany.com. If you want to resolve server1 without having to put the .mycompany.com with it, you would add mycompany.com to the domain search.

Now click on Routing to add the default Gateway.

Enter the gateway for your network. After you finish with the gateway address, you are returned to the Network Address setup. Click Next to accept the changes.

After you have finished, you should see that your static IP address is set. Click Next.

Once the static IP address is set, you can also configure a firewall setting if preferred. One common configuration is to enable ssh. This option is entirely up to you.

Now click on change and choose Proxy Server. Put in the appropriate proxy information and test the proxy setting using the button at the bottom of the page.

Important: If you are using a proxy and want to register and update it during the installation process, then you must configure the https proxy as well since the registration goes over the https protocol.

When the Network Configuration is complete, test the connection to the Internet. This step is optional, but if you skip the test, you will also skip the Customer Center configuration which makes it possible for your system to automatically receive updates from Novell.

You should see a success notice. If not, the most likely cause is that the IP, subnet, or gateway information is incorrect. Review the configuration for any errors.

You can move forward with a failed configuration, but you will not be set up for online updates; however, this can be configured after the installation if necessary.

Next, set up the Novell Customer Center Configuration. The hardware profile and optional information are not required and can be unchecked if prefered. Novell recommends keeping the Regularly Synchronize with Customer Center option checked. This will allow the update system to check for updates on a regular basis.

This next screen is just a notification that you will be prompted for information.

Enter your email address, system name or description (typically the name of the server), and the activation codes for SLES 10 and OES 2.

If you don't fill out the activation codes section, your server will be registered for evaluation and you will receive 60 days worth of updates before you will need to purchase a registration code in order to continue receiving updates.

Click on Continue to complete the registration process.

When the configuration has been successfully completed, run the update to continue.

You are next prompted for CA information. You shouldn't need to change anything on this screen unless the software is unable to retrieve or set up some of the information (which shows in red). There is currently one known issue: you will need to manually put in the password for the CA Managment section if an update was performed during the installation of the OS. This issue is currently being addressed by Novell and should be resolved in the future.

The only real issue to note here is that SLES 10 and OES 2 both come with an LDAP server. Since we are installing eDirectory in this example, we will be using the LDAP version that comes with eDirectory. That is why OpenLDAP shows up as not starting by default. If you are using eDirectory, do not enable this option as doing so will create a port conflict.

You are now presented with the option for using an existing tree or a new tree. This example uses an existing tree.

Enter the IP address of a server that holds a replia. Also supply the admin username and password that will be used to extend the schema and install the objects.

Enter the context where you would like the server installed.

The default ports should not need to be changed unless a service is already using those ports.

Enter the SLP server and scope information as well as the NTP time source.

In this example, we accept the default configuration for NMAS.

The Open Enterprise Server configuration screen allows you to customize the default configuration proposed by the system.

This default proposal may very well meet your needs, but let's look at some of the more common configurations in case you want to customize your configuration. Each of these configurations can be accessd by clicking on the Change drop down menu or by selecting the service name within the configuration window.

Linux User Management

The best way to think of Linux User Management (LUM) is that it enables Linux services for eDirectory users. By default, the user installing the server will be LUM-enabed for that server, but not all Linux services are enabled by default. Unenabled services include login, ftp, sshd, su, openwbem, gdm, gnomesu-pam. To enable them, click on Linux User Management.

There are three configuration screens. Just accept the defaults on everything except the second screen as shown below. On the second configuration screen, select the desired services. This example selects all of them, but your security requirements may be different. For instance, if your company doesn't allow ftp, don't check the ftp option. Keep in mind that just because these services are checked, doesn't mean that any eDirectory user can login to the server. In addition, as an additional security measure, the eDirectory Unix workstation object must be added to their LUM assignment before they can use these services.

Novell Samba

The only possible configuration change for Samba is changing the base context for Samba users. This is the container where the ldap search for Samba users is begun. It searches this container and below. The default configuration sets this base context as the same container as the user installing the server. You may need to adjust this if the installer's context is not the one needed.

Configure the authentication method. Novell recommends logging in and running the server as a user other than the root user. The root user has permissions to anything on the server and can therefore execute any command on the system, including commands that you may not have meant to execute. Also, root often modifies the global settings of an application, whereas an individual user will create user-specific settings under their home directory.

If you are authenticating with eDirectory users (as configured above), then leave the information blank and click Next.

You will be prompted that this only makes sense if you are authenticating as a network user (which you are in this example).

If you are not planning on authenticating to the server with eDirectory users, then create a local account. Just be sure that the local account is not the same as an eDirectory account. Just because you may have chosen to not allow the authentication of eDirectory users, doesn't mean that OES 2 isn't aware of eDirectory information. There could be possible conflicts if you have a LUM user in eDirectory and a local user on the server both with the same username, but both having different UIDs and GIDs.

You are now presented with the release notes for both OES 2 and SLES 10 since both products are being installed.

Configure and test the graphics card installation.

This last option creates a clone of the system to be used with AutoYaST. This is helpful in allowing the automatic configuration of certain settings by writing those setting to an AutoYaST xml file which can then be used for subsequent installations.